Material-spooling apparatus



Jan. 28, 1930. l H, JBLQL-JNT 1,744,739

MATERIAL SPOOLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 22, 1925 //7 l/enfa/ PatentedJan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY ."BLOUNT, OF OAK PARK,ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY,

INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MATERIAL-SPOOLING APPARATUS Applicationfiled December 22, 1925.

This invention relates to material spooling apparatus, and moreparticularly to an improved gua-rding device therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple,inexpensive, and eflicient device for guarding a take-up element of amaterial spooling apparatus.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, there isprovided an improved take-up spool guard particularly useful in highspeed wire drawing apparatus, and comprising a pair of substantiallysemi-cylindrical sect-ions cooperating to form an enclosure for thespool, having an opening between the sections for the entrance of a wirebeing spooled. A freely swinging gate held in an open position by thewire during the normal operation of the take-up spool immediately dropsto completely close the opening when the wire breaks, free end of thewire within the guarded enclosure and also preventing the escapetherefrom of any small pieces of the wire which may be produced from theend portion thereof due to its engagement with sharp edges during therapid rotation of the spool.

It is believed that the invention will be clearly understood from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingillustrating one embodiment thereof and in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a wire drawingapparatus embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of a portionof Fig. 1, showing the improved guard for the take-up spool, and t Fig.3 is an end view looking toward the left of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and particularly to Fig. 1thereof, the numeral 11 indicates, generally, a framework for supportingthe various elements of a wire drawing apparatus embodying the featuresof this invention. Rotatably mounted in a compartment 12 supported bythe framework 11 are a plurality of integral capstans 17, 17 ofgradually increasing diameters. The capstans 17 are secured to ahorizontal shaft 18 thereby confining the Serial No. 76,955.

which is journaled in suitable bearings formed in the compartment 12 anddriven by an electrical motor or other suitable source of power (notshown). Mounted above the shaft 18 are a plurality of sheaves or guiderolls 19, 19 which are independently rotatable upon a horizontallydisposed shaft 20 suitably supported within the compartment 12. For adetailed illustration and description of the sheaves 19, capstans 17 andthe driving mechanism for the latter, reference is made to Patent1,598,937 to John N. Selvig, September 7, 1926. The details of thisconstruction have been omitted from the present application for the sakeof simplicity, since a full disclosure of the particular construction ofthe sheaves, capstans and driving mechanism is not essential to acomplete understanding of the present invention.

Mounted intermediate the capstans 17 and the sheaves 19 is a die holder23 which carries a plurality of wire drawing dies (not shown) ofgradually decreasing diameters. A supply of wire 24 to be reduced indiameter is carried by a supply spool 25 suitably mounted near thebottom of the framework 11. The wire 24 is guided from the supply spool25 over and under guide pulleys 26 and 27, respectively, and then overthe rear guide roll 19 and through the first reducing die carried by thedie holder 23. The wire is then wound once around the capstan 17 ofsmallest diameter, after which it is passed upwardly and over the nextsheave 19, through the next reducing die, and around the next capstan,etc, until it is finally drawn down to the correct diame ter by the lastreducing die. From the last reducing die the drawn wire is passed aroundthe capstan 17 of largest diameter, after which it is guidedby pulleys30 and 32 to a take-up spool 34 driven by suitable mechanism mounted ina housing 46.

The take-up spool 34: is enclosed in a sub stantially cylindrical guard35, comprising a semi-cylindrical stationary member 43 and asubstantially semi-cylindrical movable member 55. The member 43 issecured in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 44:, to a circularraised portion 45 formed on the end face of the housing 46. Rotatablymounted upon another circular raised portion 49 also formed on the endface of the housing 46 is an annular member 50 provided with a tongue 51projecting therefrom, which tongue extends upwardly when the guard is inits normal or closed position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The movablemember 55 of the guard 35 is secured to the annular member 50 andextends from the end of the tongue 51 to a point just overlappin thelower edge of the stationary guard member 43, when the guard is in itsnormal or operative position. To remove or replace the take-up spool 34,the guard member 55 is rotated counterclockwise by pressing outwardlyand downwardly upon the upper end thereof until it assumes the positionindicated in dotted outline in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the upper ends of theguardmembers 43 and 55 are spaced apart to provide a rectangular openingtherebetween through which the wire 24 guided by distributor fingers 71enters the guard to be wound upon the take-up spool 34-. The upper endsof the guard members 43 and 55 are each provided with a reinforcingrolled bead indicated at 57 and 58, respectively, thereby providingagainst any sharp edges at points where the wire enters the guard.

Pivotally secured to the guard member 55, as indicated at 56, is arectangular gate or flap 60, the free end of which is adapted to engagethe upper end 57 of the guard member 43 to completely close the openingbetween the guard members 43 and 55. During the normal operation of thespooling apparatus, the free end of the flap 60 bears against the wirebeing spooled and is thereby held open, as shown in Fig. 3. A strip 62of fibre or other suitable material, is secured to the free end of theflap 60 to prevent any damage to the wire due to its frictionalengagement therewith. As the wire on the spool builds up, the flap isswung to the left by the moving wire and when the wire breaks, the freeend of the flap instantly drops into engagement with the upper end 57 ofthe guard member 43, as s own in dotted outline in Fig. 3, therebyconfining the free end of the wire within the guarded enclosure.

In the operation of spooling drawn wire, which is usually done at a highspeed, the wire may sometimes break due to various causes, whichbreakage immediately accelerates the rotation of the take-up spool. Thiscauses the free end of the wire wound on the spool to be swung withgreat force against sharp edges presented by adjacent members of theapparatus which may in some instances cause the wire to be severed intosmall sections which are scattered, thus constituting a source of dangerto the attendants. Such danger is eliminated by a guard embodying thefeatures of this invention since upon breakage of the wire beingspooled, the flap 60 immediately closes, as hereinbefore described,whereby any small pieces of wire that may become severed from the freeend of the wire are confined within the guarded enclosure and arethereby prevented from being scattered about in the surroundingatmosphere, thus eliminating any possible danger which might otherwiseresult therefrom.

Although the invention as herein illustrated and described isparticularly well adapted for use in connection with a wire drawingapparatus, it should be understood that the novel features thereof arecapable of other applications and the invention should be limited onlyby the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for guarding a take-up element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a member designed to substantialy surround theperipheral surface of the element and having an opening therein for theentrance of the material being spooled, and a swinging gate controlledby the material for closing said opening due to its co-operation withsaid member and permitting the material to move freely across the faceof the take-up element.

2. A device for guarding a take-up element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a plurality of co-operating sections arranged tosubstantially surround the peripheral surface of the element, one ofsaid sections being pivotally mounted and designed to be spaced from anadjacent section by the material being spooled, and gravity actuatedupon the discontinuance of the material to close the space between thesections.

3. A device for guarding a takeup element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a pair of co-operating sections aranged tosubstantially surround the periperal surface of the element and adaptedto be shifted around each other to permit replacement of the take-upelement, said sections being spaced apart to provide an openingtherebetween for the entrance of the material being spooled, and meanscontrolled by the material being spooled for controlling said opening.

4. A device for guarding a take-up element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a pair of co-operating concentric sectionsarranged to substantially surround the peripheral surface of the elementand rotatable with respect to each other, said sections being spacedapart to normally provide an opening therebetween for the entrance ofthe material being spooled, and pivoted means operated in response to abreak in the material forclosing said opening.

5. A device for guarding a take-up element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a pair of cooperating sections arranged tosubstantially surround the peripheral surface of the element, saidsections being normally spaced from each other to provide an openingtherebetween for the entrance of the material being spooled, meanscontrolled by the material being spooled for controlling said opening,and means for moving the sections With respect to each other to permitreplacement of the take-up spool.

6. A device for guarding a take-up element of a strand material spoolingapparatus, comprising a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical memberscooperating to substantially surround the peripheral surface of theelement, the ends of said members being normally spaced from each otherto provide an opening for the entrance of the strand being spooled, anda gate pivoted to one of the members and engaging the strand, said gateactuated in response to a break in the strand to close the 2 opening.

7. A device for guarding a take-up element of a strand material spoolingapparatus, comprising a member designed to substantially surround theperipheral surface of the element, and a swinging gate pivoted theretoat one end and its free end resting against the material being spooled,said gate operated upon a discontinuance of the material to complete thesurrounding of the element. .10 8. A device for guarding a take-upelement of a material spooling apparatus, comprising a member designedto substantially surround the peripheral surface of the element andhaving an opening therein for the entrance of the material beingspooled, and a pivotal gate mounted on said member for closing saidopening upon an interruption in the material. 9. A device for guarding atake-up element of a material spooling apparatus, comprising a pair ofco-operating sections spaced apart to provide an entrance for materialbeing spooled and rotatable With respect to each other, and means freeto follow the movement of the material being spooled for closing saidentrance.

10. A device for guarding a take-up element of a material spoolingapparatus, comprising a pair of co-operating sections arranged tosubstantially surround the peripheral surface of the element, thesections being spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween for theentrance of the material being spooled, means for mounting the sectionsto permit movement of one section relative to the other section toenlarge the opening therebetween, and means mounted on the movablesection and operated in response to a breax in the material for closingsaid opening.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 39 my name this 11th day ofDecember, A. D.

HARRY BLOUN T.

